The Revolution That Wasn’t: How Digital Activism Favors Conservatives

From the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street to Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, many have hailed the democratizing power of digital activism. As a mode of political participation, it seems cheap, fast, and open to all. Yet, little is known about the variation of the actual cost of online participation in social movements across social classes. Jen Schradie’s research incorporates different social settings and spans from online to off-line activism practices, thus highlighting the high costs of online participation for working-class groups.Despite the promise of equalizing online participation, digital activism tends to be less effective when horizontally organized volunteer groups aim to translate online goodwill into meaningful action. Conversely, large hierarchical political organizations with professional staff manage to amplify their digital impact. Not only does technology fail to level the playing field: it tilts it further, so that only the most sophisticated and well-funded players can compete.